Growing Up is Not Allowed
by Aurora Sunkiss
Summary: There are cruel people in Hermione's life, changing her into a lady, and she just won’t have it. One fateful night, she is visited by a boy, and taken to a land that she thought only existed in her wildest dreams. AU unpridected pairing, please R


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry potter or any of these characters. Accept Mary.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Box and a Horrid Future

by: Aurora Sunkiss

* * *

"Mary!" I called, taking slow steps down the seemingly never-ending stairs. "Mary! Do come and help me!" Some maids just couldn't be helped; Mary of course could never help. She was always doing something.

As I declined the steep steps to the small ballroom bellow I bellowed for the girl again. I myself am but a girl, but she was the girl that should be carrying these things around the house, not me. I was supposed to be in the breakfast room…obviously having breakfast! But no! I had to bring these things to father because the maid couldn't do it. " Mary!!" I called for the fourth time.

The house was brand new and it took forever to build. The rails on the sides of the stairs were made of marble, as was most of the house. The steps I was walking on were also made of marble, but they have a nice red carpet on them. My father would take nothing but the best for us to live in. We were a very rich family, my father being the governor and all.

If Mary didn't show up before I reached the bottom of the stairs I would just throw a fit. This is not my job. My job it to look pretty, and look for a husband, not lift and deliver. I of course, hated my job. I didn't want to grow up, or get married, or anything. I just wanted to stay a little girl forever.

"Mary!" I shouted again. Were maids not supposed to come when they are called?

"Yes mi-lady?" A singsong voice said, joyously coming out of the servant's corridor. I paused and tried looking for her. I couldn't see over to box though. So I wobbled and twisted to see. "Mi-lady! You're going to fall!" She shouted at me.

Of course I wasn't paying much attention to her now, I was focused on regaining my balance. I heard a door open and heard more shouting, but I couldn't make it out. I kept repeating to myself "left foot in front of the right, stand up strait" I was regaining my balance.

A gust of wind rushed past me. I gave a small 'eep,' holding the box as tight as I could, as if IT could save me. The scolding and ordering got louder, and I heard a small shriek. Not only was I about to tumble to my doom, but also I think my Aunt was at the bottom of those stairs.

That was the last thing I needed, my aunt barking at me about how a woman does not carry boxes around the house, and how a woman does not loose her balance, how a woman is a delicate rose. She was the one that was trying to make me into a woman.

She'd come here from France, and she was my uncle's sister. That's where most of my father's family lived. We lived in England though, of course. My aunt is ALWAYS getting on my case about something "no, a lady has pale beautiful skin. Get out of the sun," and " sit up straight! A lady doesn't slouch!" things like that. Sometimes I would just like to slap the woman, but then of course I would get the lecture of my life.

She'll scream at me for sure if I fall down those stairs. But fate always seemed to be against me. I wobbled, knowing my time had come. My left foot went forward to land on the next step. I squinted my eyes as my small heel touched the red carpet.

If I do fall to my death, I leave all my belongings to my cat! If I don't fall and live happily, I will forever be in god's debt. But please god! If I fall and don't die, please save me from my evil aunt of doom. This was the event of my life…it was all in this step.

I didn't fall

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. How had I managed to that, I would never know. But I was alive, and not a squashed little bug! I gave a small whoop and hopped a little.

Silly me. I forgot I was balancing for my life.

My foot slipped slowly over the red carpet when I came down to the stairs from my hop. The box flew out of my arms, and as if in slow motion my legs pulled out in front of me. Gravity forced me down and my butt landed on the corner of the step and I slipped down.

And down and down and down.

It was a bumpy ride let me tell you. And man did my butt hurt! I was screaming my head of, and I can't really tell if I was crying or not. I heard other screams and hollers too. I couldn't make out what they were hollering, but it was so loud I think the walls were shaking. I was nearing the ground, there where only so many steps to fall down.

I slid off the last step, and across the marble floor. I shrieked and shoved my arms in front of my face to protect my face. I attempted to stop myself, but the floors were mopped, it being morning and all. My eyes were held tight and I waited for impact with the wall.

But I didn't run into a wall. I ran into two bony stem like figures. I gave an 'eep' at the sudden halt and caught my breath. My dress was wet and beat up, and my hair was in such a mess. I blinked and noticed that the two bony stem like figures were legs. My view traveled up the legs, past the waste, over the chest, and strait to the face. I didn't have too look that far to know whom it was.

"Morning father…" I said with a small gulp. He gave me a sour look. I was never that fond of my father. He's the one that invited my aunt here to straiten me up. He was a stern, mean man. Or at least to me. The only reason he had so many people on his side for governor was because they were all dead scared of him.

I usually tried to do my best to avoid him, only saw him when I had too. He also avoided me. He was much kinder when my mother was alive. He was cold now, quite unloving. "Good morning indeed." He said. I gave a false smile, not know what he would do to me. Maybe I could get a 'get-out-of-jail-free card.'

He used to be a doctor, and help people and things. Him and my mother were a team, the best ever. They were quite sought out. Unfortunately when my mother was lost, my dad lost the joy of saving lives. He turned to politics, and his heart got stiff. For a while I felt kind of sorry for him, but only for a while.

"HERMIONE!" and here came my aunt, rushing over to me like a rabid wolf. She grabbed me under my arms and lifted up my petite form. I gave a small yelp of pain. She placed me on my delicate feet, and attempted to straiten me up. " A lady does NOT carry boxes around her house!" My aunt scolded.

I grimaced as she patted me down. "And a lady does NOT hop. I never want to see you hop again do you hear me Hermione." I was fiddiling with the bow of my dress. When I heard her say my name I dropped it quickly.

"Yes Aunt Minerva" I said with a sigh. Aunt Minerva went on naming all the things I did wrong. Strangely my aunt and I had different last names. It doesn't make much sense, because my aunt is my father's sister. I gave up trying to figure it out a while after she moved here. Now was not the time to start pondering it again.

I glanced behind me, she was patting me down still, but just beyond her I could see the box's effects spewed out across the stairs. It had never occurred to me to check and see what was actually in it; I just did what I was told to do. A sense of curiosity came over me though.

The crowd that had gathered at the base of the stairs started to decrease, the servants had things to do, and my father had someone waiting in his office. My aunt and I were the only ones left in the hall. "Now I want you to go back to your room and dress appropriately. There is someone you will be meeting at breakfast." She said.

I gave her a confused look, my curiosity once again at its peek. I shook it off though; it wasn't uncommon to meet people at breakfast. I nodded and she gracefully glided over to the breakfast room. I imitated her behind her back. Sometimes I just couldn't stand her.

I shook my head and walked over to the box. I knelt down and began putting all the things back in it. As I lifted up a smaller box something occurred to me. There was a gust of wind. I searched the walls of the hall. There weren't any windows. I looked up and noticed out sunlight.

I called it sunlight because it was a window that let the sun in at the very top of the house. In the middle even. There were only about 3 of them ever created, a new design. I loved sitting there on the steps at night and letting the moonlight guide my reading. Could the wind have gotten in there somehow?

That's improbable though, it would have gone down, and the window was about 3 stories up. There was no way a strong gust of wind could have gotten to me. "How odd…" I muttered, picking up random items and putting them in the box.

My hand fell on something thick and heavy. I blinked, was it a book. "How did this get in here?" I whispered picking it up. I flipped through the pages slowly, it was all written. All of it was handwritten text. Maybe it was a diary. But of who's?

"Hermione! Are you still in there" My aunt called from the door. I hid the book behind my back and replied back that I was almost done. Maybe this box had something more important in it too. I lifted it up once all the things were in it, and carried it to my room. I would do more inspecting after I had this meeting. Father could wait to retrieve this box, it was mine for the time being.

"Oh so good of you to join us dear" My aunt sugarcoated her glare. I nodded at her glumly; my shoulders slump. She cleared her throat strictly and I straitened up, finding my place at the end of the table. I hadn't bothered looking at the people that were also sitting at the table; I was too distracted in my own thoughts to care.

The breakfast room had windows on ever wall, accept the one leading into the house. The door to a patio was also made of glass. The sun shone in the windows and seemed to make my chestnut brown hair glow. It was one of my favorite rooms. I could come in here and my aunt wouldn't mind. The only thing I didn't like about it was the walls.

I always longed to go out and have fun, like the servant children. They were so lucky, sure they didn't think so, but they had room to breath. I barely had any with the tight corset supporting her body. It was only the corset, but my life. My family, their rank. I couldn't make a fool of herself like the servant children. I didn't have any true friends, like the children.

My chocolate eyes floated up the table. There was a whole other family in her room; of course her fathers chair was empty. I gave a halfhearted sigh at this, but continued looking. It had been a long time since my father actually ate breakfast with us.

A maid came and offered her some orange juice and she gladly accepted it. "So what company is this?" I asked boldly, as my aunt sipped her tea. She gave me a smile, most likely to impress the people sitting at the table.

I did notice something out of the ordinary though. There was a boy, his eyes were steely blue, and they bore into my being. It wasn't a pleasant stare, but a hateful one; he obviously didn't really want to be here either. Some wisps of blond hair fell in his face. He was quite good-looking as it was.

On his right side there was another man, he had blond hair as well, long and silky. It was longer then my hair. His eyes held the same royal glint; he looked very egotistical. He caught my eye and I fearlessly nodded at him. He whispered something to the boy at the opposite end of the table, and the fair boy nodded.

To the handsome young man's left there was a woman. I couldn't help but stare at her. The woman was quite puzzling. Her hair was long pale and beautiful, but that's not what entranced me so. I couldn't break my chocolate orbs away from her eyes. They were a delicate sapphire blue, yet seemed to switch to silver and back. They were small slits on her flawless face; her skin was like wax, and her lips were full.

Aunt Minerva caught me starring and cleared her throat again. I glanced her way as she began "These are the Malfoys" She said with a smile. I lifted my brow, that was an odd name.

Malfoy… I repeated it slowly and it rolled slowly off my tongue. I took a moment to stare at the entrancing family again, then looked at Aunt Minerva again. " They have a proposition, dear." I tilted my head, a proposition? What kind of proposition?

It involved me much, I knew that much. The way my aunt was acting flaunted that much. Her whole attitude was impressive. She wanted to let this family know that we were a proud family. The youngest Malfoy smirked at me.

"Yes, dear…" Said the older male. His voice oozed out slowly, and snakelike. It sounded hateful, but sugar coated. I gave him a quick glare. The first impression was not a good one. They were here, and most likely it had something to do with money. I glanced around the table again.

My Aunt continued, " As you are 14, it is appropriate for you to be finding someone to marry." My eyes widened, could she have set something up? My eyebrows knitted together. She was here to try and make me a lady, not to make me a wife. Any respect I had for her was slowly falling.

I was 14, but I did not want to be. I wanted to once again be my 6-year-old self, my carefree 6-year-old self. It wasn't happening though. I did not want to be married into a snake-like family. I wanted to write books, and to stay childish. I shifted in my seat, but kept my mouth shut so she could continue.

"Hermione…" She said slowly, placing her silky hand on mine. "Your father and I have arranged this for you." I could feel cloudy pools growing in my eyes. I retracted my hand from hers, her face fell and she pulled her own back slowly, curling it up. I felt the eyes of all the people at the table on me, and I didn't like it.

My fate had been set, I was to become a bride.

But don't think that Hermione Morning Granger would just sit here and let it happen. I glared at my aunt, and all the people at the table, and I stood up, tall and proud "Do not think, Aunt Minerva, that you can control my life," My voice rang with defiance, I had been waiting for the longest time to get this out. "I may be 14, and the proper age, but I am **not** ready to be 14 and the proper age. I have allowed you to morph me slowly into what you call a lady, but I will **not** stand for it anymore!"

The boy at the end of the table's eyebrows shot up in curiosity. I paid no heed to him though, and focused my attention on my Aunt. She also forced herself out of her chair. I would have continued on my ranting if it had not been for a rigged laugh. I glared at the oldest male.

"She is a wild one," He said delighted, starring at his wife. The woman graced him with a smile before giving her attention to me again. This man, who I did not even know, was laughing at me!

How rude

"I beg your pardon?" The words fell off my tongue like butter before my aunt could stop them. He looked at me with a smirk. A devilish smirk, tainted with hate. His steely eyes bore into mine.

"You heard me fine child." He said standing up. "Come." He said to his wife and they exited the breakfast room. I watched them leave with utter confusion. The boy didn't move though. He reclined in his chair, musing with his own thoughts. He had lost his curious look, and for an instant I thought I saw something apologetic in his eyes. It only flashed a brief moment.

"Are you not going with him?" I shouted at the boy.

"Of course not." My face tightened with confusion. I looked at my aunt quickly and she gave a sigh. She almost looked apologetic herself…almost. I would not be marrying _anyone _and that was final.

I pushed my chair back from behind me; I gave a solid glare at the two, fighting back the tears. I would fight this.

I darted out of the room, tears dripping down my innocent face. The hot salty sensation graced my tongue, but the tears only sped with realization. If I didn't do something, I would be lost forever. I held the rim of my pale peach dress up as my feet met the familiar steps. I heard something.

A creek. I stopped abruptly, dropping the silky fabric and turning to the sound. I found myself looking at the man who was once a kind, loving father. "Hermione?" He asked.

I tried to say something, but all that came out of my mouth was a horse mumble. The tears sped even more, and I once again picked up my silky dress and darted up the stairs.

I would not abide to this cruel torture anymore.

And I would **not** grow up.

* * *

-Huffs and puffs- ok guys that's the prologue. It took a while, but I'm pretty proud of it. I'm a bit rusty with my writing skills, after such a long break. But never fear! _A Pirates Time For Me _is being updated again; I just gotta get back on my train of thought.

Hope you guys enjoyed and PLEASE I would really appreciate reviews. It speeds up the time between updates. Also I need an editor, so if anyone's interested, come to me

REVIEW

pwease


End file.
